Ladder



United States Patent Office I 3,259,209 Patented July 5, 196 6 3,259,209 LADDER Charles C. Brown, Groves, Tex., assignor to Gulf Oil rporafion, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed May 7, 1964, Ser. No. 365,591 8 Claims. (Cl. 182189) This invention relates to an apparatus having special utility as a portable ladder. The ladder of this invention has detachable and movable step means permitting adjustability of the distance between adjacent steps. The ladder assembly is capable of rapid disassembly following use as well as easy and rapid reassembly. The structure of the apparatus of this invention is set forth in the following description which refers to the accompanying drawing in which FIGURE 1 shows an individual detachable step element of this invention, and

FIGURE 2 illustrates an integrated ladder assembly and indicates the method of assembling the same.

FIGURE 1 shows a detachable and movable step having a shank 12. One end of shank 12 is provided with a suitable U-bend, hook or open loop 14, which serves as hanger means, while the other end of shank 12 is attached perpendicularly to the mid-point of a cross bar 16. Each detachable step has only a single, unitary hanger means, as indicated at 14. Crossbar 16 is comprised of an arm 18 and an oppositely extending arm 20.

A stud 22 is attached to shank 12 at an intermediate position along the length of shank 12 and projects perpendicularly from shank 12 on the same side of shank 12 as U-bend 14 and on the same plane as U-bend 14. U-bend 14 and stud 22 lie on a common plane which is substantially perpendicular with respect to crossbar 16.

FIGURE 2 illustrates an integrated ladder assembly 24 which includes detachable step 10. Ladder assembly 24 comprises a relatively narrow, elongated, upright perforate member 26, which may be an angle iron as shown, having a plurality of oblong perforations or openings 28 extending completely therethrough and spaced apart from each other in a vertical row. Angle iron 26 is supported and maintained in a vertical position by any suit-able means such as base stand 30 or scaffolding members 32, or both.

The rear of each oblong opening 28 is unobstructed and the vertical spacing between adjacent pairs of oblong openings is determined by the distance between U-bend 14 and stud 22. If desired, all oblong openings 28 can be spaced equidistantly. The elongated dimension of each oblong opening 28 is slightly larger than the width of U-bend 14, as indicated at A in FIGURE 2, but need not be as large as the length of U-bend 14.

The apparatus is assembled as follows. Step 10 is joined with perforate member 26 by inserting U-bend hanger 14 into an oblong opening 28. Step 10 is mounted on perforate member 26 by directing the arcuate rim of U-bend 14 into an oblong opening 28, as indicated at A in FIGURE 2. Thereupon, step 10 is rotated downwardly so that the adjacent lower oblong opening 28 receives stud 22. Finally, step 10 drops into final position so that it is suspended at the arcuate rim of U-bend 14 and shank 12 abuts against the fiat outer surface of perforate member 26, as indicated at B in FIGURE 2. Step 10 is free of any inwardly directed protuberance which can prevent it from abutting squarely against the surface of perforate member 26.

When in the position as shown at B, step 10 can support a vertical load by means of hanger 14. If the load upon step 10 is unbalanced, as occurs when either arm 18 or arm 20 receives a greater weight than the other, lateral or rotational movement of step 10 is prevented by means of stud 22. In this manner, even though step 10 is provided with only single, unitary hanger means 14 it is locked or secured against rotation due to an unbalanced load and can advantageously receive a weight on either arm 18 or arm 20, while the other arm remains unload. As shown in FIGURE 2, angle iron 26 is relatively narrow whereby arms 18 and 20 project laterally outwardly from the periphery of angle iron 26 on opposite sides. Arms 18 and 20 are thereby adapted to receive the shoes of a person ascending a ladder assembly as shown in FIGURE 2.

It is noted that the apparatus of this invention can be adapted for uses other than a ladder. For example, it can be utilized as a hanger apparatus in which case the detachable step means can constitute a load supporting means. If the apparatus is not utilized as a ladder, vertical perforate member 26 can be appreciably wider, if desired, since for utility other than as a ladder, it might not necessarily be required that arms 18 and 20 project laterally beyond the periphery of vertical member 26.

I claim:

1. An apparatus having only a single hanger means in the form of a U-bend and adapted for supporting an unbalanced load substantially without rotational movement comprising shank means having a U-bend at one end thereof and load receiving means at the other end thereof for receiving an unbalanced load, stud means extending from said shank means at an intermediate position along the length thereof, said stud means projecting from said shank means onthe same side of said shank means as said U-bend and on the same plane as said U-bend, said plane being substantially perpendicular with respect to said load receiving means.

2. An apparatus having only a single hanger means in the form of a U-bend and adapted for supporting an unbalanced load substantially 'without rotational movement comprising shank means having a U-bend at one end thereof .and crossbar means at the other end thereof, stud means extending from said shank means at an intermediate position along the length thereof, said stud means projecting from said shank means on the same side of said shank means as said U-bend and on the same plane as said U-bend, said plane being substantially perpendicular with respect to said crossbar means.

3. A detachable step for use in a ladder assembly, said step having only a single hanger means in the form of a U-bend and adapted for supporting an unbalanced load substantially without rotational movement comprising shank means having a U-bend at one end thereof and load receiving means at the other end thereof for receiving an unbalanced load, stud means extending from said shank means at an intermediate position along the length thereof, said stud means projectin from said shank means on the same side of said shank means as said U-bend and on the same plane as said U-bend, said plane being substantially perpendicular with respect to said load receiving means.

4. A detachable step for use in a scaffolding member having oblong perforations spaced apart in a vertical row, said step having only a single hanger means in the form of a U-bend and adapted for supporting an unbalanced load substantially without rotation, comprising shank means having a U-bend at one end thereof and crossbar means at the other end thereof, stud means extending from said shank means at an intermediate position along the length thereof, said stud means projecting from said shank means on the same side of said shank means as said U-bend and on the same plane as said U-bend, said plane being substantially perpendicular with respect to said crossbar means.

5. A ladder assembly comprising an upright member having a plurality of oblong perforations spaced vertically apart from each other and detachable step means, said step means having only a single hanger means in the form of a U-b'end, said step means comprising shank means having a U-bend at one end thereof and crossbar means at the other end thereof, stud means attached to said shank means at an intermediate position along the length thereof, said stud means projecting from said shank means on the same side of said shank means as said U-bend and on the same plane as said 'U-bend, said plane being substantially perpendicular with respect to said crossbar means, the distance between adjacent oblong perforations in said upright member being related to the distance between said U-bend and said stud means so that said step means is mounted on said upright memher by directing the arcuate rim of said U-bend into an oblong perforation followed by rotation of said step means downwardly so that the adjacent lower oblong perforation receives said stud means and then dropping said step means into final position.

6. The ladder assembly of claim 5 wherein said crossbar means projects laterally beyond the periphery of said upright member.

7. The ladder assembly of claim 5 including means for supporting said upright member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,073,158 9/1913 Morris 182-189 1,206,203 11/1916 Brockway 182-92 X 2,253,847 8/1941 Crum. 2,790,616 4/1957 Cardinal. 2,915,196 12/1959 Pira. 2,949,510 8/1960 Sichel 248219 X 2,963,166 12/1960 Miller 248223 3,091,423 5/ 1963 Butterworth.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,246,916 10/1960 France.

934,767 7/1963 Great Britain.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. 

3. A DETACHABLE STEP FOR USE IN A LADDER ASSEMBLY, SAID STEP HAVING ONLY A SINGLE HANGER MEANS IN THE FORM OF A U-BEND AND ADAPTED FOR SUPPORTING AN UNBALANCED LOAD SUBSTANTIALLY WITHOUT ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT COMPRISING SHANK MEANS HAVING A U-BEND AT ONE END THEREOF AND LOAD RECEIVING MEANS AT THE OTHER END THEREOF FOR RECEIVING AN UNBALANCED LOAD, STUD MEANS EXTENDING FROM SAID SHANK MEANS AT A INTERMEDIATE POSITION ALONG THE LENGTH THEREOF, SAID STUD MEANS PROJECTING FROM SAID SHANK MEANS ON THE SAME SIDE OF SAID SHANK MEANS AS SAID U-BEND AND ON THE SAME PLANE AS SAID U-BEND, SAID PLANE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY PERPENDICULAR WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOAD RECEIVING MEANS. 